HOME COOKING FIRE PATTERNS AND TRENDS

Transcription

1 HOME COOKING FIRE PATTERNS AND TRENDS John R. Hall, Jr. Fire Analysis and Research Division National Fire Protection Association 1 Batterymarch Park Quincy, MA January 2005 Copyright, 2005, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA

2 Executive Summary In 2001, cooking equipment was involved in 117,100 reported home structure fires, the largest share for any major cause. Of these fires, 48,900 were reported as fires confined to a cooking vessel (meaning the interior of a cooking device or appliance), with no other details on the type of cooking equipment involved. (See Table 1.) The confined fire option is a new feature of NFIRS Version 5.0, which was first used in The apparent increase in home cooking fires in recent years is entirely due to confined fires, many or most of which would probably have been coded as something other than fire prior to All analysis of detailed patterns of home cooking fires must be based on the 68,200 non-confined fires for which details were solicited, if not always provided. In addition to the 117,100 home structure fires involving cooking equipment, there were an estimated 3,800 reported outdoor home grill fires in In 2001, cooking equipment structure fires in homes resulted in 370 civilian deaths, 4,290 civilian injuries, and $453 million in direct property damage. Cooking also ranks first in number of civilian fire injuries. All measures of loss for home cooking fires have declined since 1980, but in recent years these losses have varied up and down with no clear, consistent trend. This contrasts with the clear downward trend in total home fires and associated losses. Most home cooking fires (68% of the unconfined home cooking fires in 2001 and probably many or most of the confined fires as well) involve the range, and more specifically the stovetop portion, and this is also true for losses in home cooking fires. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 i

3 Table of Contents Executive Summary Table of Contents List of Numbered Tables i ii iii Overview 1 Profile of Home Cooking Devices 23 Gas Range or Stove 24 Electric Range or Stove 34 Gas Ovens or Rotisserie 43 Electric Oven or Rotisserie 51 Portable Cooking or Warming Device 59 Deep Fryer 67 Gas Grill 74 Charcoal Grill 87 Fixed Food Warming Appliance 100 Grease Hood or Duct 107 Microwave Oven 113 Appendix A: How National Estimates Statistics Are Calculated 119 Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 ii

4 List of Numbered Tables Page 1. Home Cooking Structure Fire Problem, by Year 8 2. U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fires, by Type of Equipment U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fire Civilian Deaths, by Type of Equipment U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fire Civilian Injuries, by Type of Equipment U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fire Direct Property Damage (in Millions 17 of Dollars), by Type of Equipment 6. U.S. Home Structure Fires Involving Cooking and/or Kitchen, by Year Trends in U.S. Use of Cooking Power Sources Comparative Risks of Gas Versus Electric Stoves U.S. Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Deaths Involving Home Cooking Equipment 22 Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 iii

5 Overview Cooking refers to food preparation through the application of heat. Cooking equipment therefore does not include all food processing equipment. For example, electric can openers and food processors are excluded. In a typical home, most if not all cooking and other food processing equipment is stored and used in the kitchen (with grills as a notable exception), but cooking-related fires need not occur in the kitchen, and kitchen fires need not involve cooking or other food processing equipment. A confined cooking fire is a fire wholly confined to the interior of a piece of cooking equipment; for example, fire remains inside the oven, microwave oven, toaster, toaster oven, or, most frequently, pan on the stove. In 2001, cooking equipment was involved in 117,100 reported home structure fires, the largest share for any major cause. Of these fires, 48,900 were reported as confined cooking fires with no other details on the type of cooking equipment involved. (See Tables 1-2.) The confined fire option is a new feature of NFIRS Version 5.0, which was first used in All analysis of detailed patterns of home cooking fires must be based on the 68,200 fires for which details were solicited, if not always provided. Nearly half of the confined cooking fires are probably fires that would previously have been coded as something other than fire (e.g., smoke scare) but are now coded accurately as fires because of the reduced paperwork requirements for documenting confined fires. The other half are probably food-on-stove fires that were previously coded as stove fires. In addition to the 117,100 home structure fires involving cooking equipment, there were an estimated 3,800 outdoor home grill fires in In 2001, cooking equipment structure fires in homes resulted in 370 civilian deaths, 4,290 civilian injuries, and $453 million in direct property damage. Cooking also ranks first in number of civilian fire injuries. Apart from the increase in confined fires, home cooking fires have been declining. Associated losses especially civilian deaths, have fluctuated considerably over the past decade, with little sustained decline. Confined fires have also accounted for a jump in cooking fire civilian injuries but contribute very little in terms of death and property damage. (See Tables 2-5.) In addition to the structure fire losses, outdoor home grill fires caused an estimated no civilian fire deaths, 32 civilian fire injuries, and less than half a million dollars in direct property damage. Home cooking fires relative to population are comparable in Canada to those in the U.S., given that the population of Canada is roughly one-ninth that of the U.S. and that Canada s statistics include all buildings, not just homes. Per capita rates of cooking fires are lower in Canada in recent years, because the numbers have declined more in Canada. However, per capita rates of cooking fire deaths are higher in Canada. Home cooking fires in the United Kingdom (U.K.) are comparable to those in the U.S. in the early 1990s, given that the population of the U.K. is roughly one-fourth that of the U.S. Increasing trends in the U.K. are complicated by their changes in definition in 1994, which expanded the scope of incidents and casualties included. However, it seems clear that home Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 1

6 cooking fire injuries are higher per capita in the U.K., because they were in the early 1990s before the changes were made. Cooking fires in Japan are much fewer, relative to population, than in the U.S. (There is some largely offsetting mismatching of categories. Japan s statistics include all structures, not just homes, but exclude cooking equipment other than the range.) The population ratio is roughly 2- to-1 for U.S.-to-Japan, but the cooking fire ratio is closer to 20-to-1, dropping to 6-to-1 for civilian deaths and property damage. Nearly all home cooking fires occur in the kitchen, but there are a substantial number of kitchen fires that do not involve cooking. The non-cooking kitchen fires are mostly the kinds of fires that can occur in any room e.g., heating, intentional, electrical distribution, child-playing as opposed to fires involving other equipment used in food preparation, storage, or disposal, such as food processors or refrigerators. See Table 6. Most home cooking fires (68% in 2001) involve the range, and more specifically the stovetop portion, and this is also true for losses in those fires. Tables 2-5 show the breakdown by type of cooking equipment for home cooking fires and associated losses from 1980 to The shares have remained fairly stable throughout this period. Beginning in 2001, NFIRS Version 5.0 provides additional detail that some participating fire departments are beginning to use. Here is an overview of the new vs. old equipment categories. Type of Equipment-NFIRS Version 5.0 Type of Equipment-NFIRS Version Unclassified kitchen or cooking equipment. In 2002, cooking equipment accounted for % of all fires and fire casualties coded directly in NFIRS 5.0 as specific cooking or other food processing or 20 or 29. Unknown-type or unclassified cooking equipment. Data from are used in the analysis in this report to split fires coded 600 into counterparts to the old 20 and 29. handling equipment. Therefore, there is little error involved in assigning all the code 600 fires to cooking equipment Coffee maker or teapot 25. Portable cooking or warming device 632. Food warmer or hot plate 25. Portable cooking or warming device 633. Kettle 25. Portable cooking or warming device 634. Popcorn popper 25. Portable cooking or warming device 635. Pressure cooker or canner 25. Portable cooking or warming device 636. Slow cooker 25. Portable cooking or warming device 637. Toaster, toaster oven, or countertop 25. Portable cooking or warming device broiler 638. Waffle iron or griddle 25. Portable cooking or warming device 639. Wok, frying pan or skillet 25. Portable cooking or warming device 641. Breadmaking machine 25. Portable cooking or warming device 642. Deep fryer 24. Deep fat fryer 643. Grill, hibachi, or barbecue 26. Open-fired grill Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 2

7 Type of Equipment-NFIRS Version 5.0 Type of Equipment-NFIRS Version Microwave oven 29. These devices could have been coded in up to four places in Version 4.1. Therefore, they are grouped with unclassified cooking equipment for calculation Oven or rotisserie 22. Fixed, stationary oven, including rotisserie 646. Range with or without an oven or cooking surface, including counter-mounted stove. 21. Fixed, stationary surface unit, including stove 647. Steam table or warming drawer/table 23. Fixed, stationary food warming appliance 654. Grease hood or duct exhaust fan 27. Grease hood or duct Incident type 113. Structure fire involving New code, could correspond to any code in old contents of cooking vessel with no fire series. extension beyond vessel. The following types of equipment, involved in food preparation but not cooking, are now distinguishable in NFIRS Version 5.0. Blender, juicer, food processor, or mixer Coffee grinder Can opener Knife Knife sharpener Dishwater Freezer separate from refrigerator Garbage disposer Ice maker separate from refrigerator Refrigerator or refrigerator/freezer Frying dominates U.K. and New Zealand home cooking fires, followed by boiling. U.K. statistics track fires involving chip or fat pan fires. Chips are what Americans call French fries and the French call pommes frites, literally fried potatoes. Chip or fat pan fires constituted one-third of home cooking fires and one-half of home cooking fire deaths in the U.K. in 1999, with both shares representing declines from most previous years. A special study of kitchen fires in the Bay-Waikato fire region of New Zealand was conducted by Key Research and Marketing, Ltd., and published in October The study examined 70 incidents involving fire department response from the first half of Based on 51 incidents where the manner of cooking was specified, the study found 65% frying (35% shallow, 29% deep), 35% boiling, 8% baking, 6% roasting, 4% grilling, and 2% toasting. (Multiple answers were allowed, which is why the percentages add to more than 100%.) Cooking fires also account for 12,344,000 unreported home fires per year, or 55.3% of all unreported fires.* *Audits & Surveys, Inc., 1984 National Sample Survey of Unreported Residential Fires: Final Technical Report, Prepared for U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Contract No. C , Princeton, NJ: Audits & Surveys, Inc., June 13, Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 3

8 That represents an average of more than one kitchen cooking fire for every eight occupied housing units per year, a high rate of potentially hazardous situations. (Other kitchen fires added another 4,710,000 fires, or 21.1% of the total, leaving only 23.6% of all unreported fires occurring outside the kitchen.) The overwhelming majority of these unreported kitchen cooking fires involved no dollar damage at all, as they stopped with the cooking materials that were first ignited, and only 5.2% of these fires caused someone an injury or illness such as headache or dizziness. Nevertheless, these small percentages translate into 642,000 cases of injury or illness per year, or roughly 150 times the number of injuries in home cooking fires that were reported in (The estimated total direct property damage for unreported home cooking fires probably adds less than 50% to the total for home cooking fires reported to U.S. fire departments.) This underscores the fact that injuries are the principal reason for concern with home cooking fires. Special studies have provided additional information on range fires and possible technological strategies to reduce them: By a two-to-one margin, most fire ignitions were estimated to have occurred in the first 15 minutes of cooking.* This is further evidence that there is no safe period when most cooking can be left unattended. In fact, the cook was outside the kitchen for six of seven fires studied.* The risk of a range fire was lowest in households with incomes at or above the national median, but risk differed little based on the education level of the head of household.* A good indication of incipient fire is the temperature on the bottom of the pan, which suggests the use of thermocouples as the detection technology for a new control technology. Gas sensors looked promising in the first two phases, conducted by NIST, but the third phase, conducted by CPSC, found gas sensor responses were too variable and occurred too close in time to fire ignition to be used for control technology without improvement. Smoke particulate detectors fared worst of all in all phases.** A study of 40 New Zealand home cooking fires provides additional insight into the variety of circumstances that lead cooking to be unattended.*** * Linda Smith, Ron Monticone, and Brenda Gillum, Range Fires, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Hazard Analysis Division, Bethesda, MD, 1999, pp. 34, 36, and 40. ** Eric L. Johnsson, Study of Technology for Detecting Pre-Ignition Conditions of Cooking-Related Fires Associated with Electric and Gas Ranges and Cooktops, Final Report, NISTIR 5950, National Institute Standards and Technology, Building and Fire Research Laboratory, Gaithersburg, MD, January 1998; and Study of Technology for Detecting Pre-Ignition Conditions of Cooking Related Fires Associated with Electric and Gas Ranges: Phase III, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorates for Laboratory Sciences and Engineering Sciences, Washington, DC, February 23, *** New Zealand Fire Service, Bay Waikito Fire Region, Kitchen Fire Research Summary of Findings, Key Research & Marketing, Ltd., 20 October Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 4

9 23 of 55 fires were unattended because the person engaged in cooking was in another room. These were the reasons: -- 4 forgot something was cooking; -- 3 were distracted by children; -- 2 were distracted by other adults; -- 2 were distracted by television; -- 2 were distracted by unexpected phone calls; -- 2 were distracted by unexpected visitors; -- 2 had not realized they had turned a cooking appliance on; -- 1 went to take a bath with a roast in the oven; -- 1 went to bed not realizing crumbs were smoldering in the toaster; -- 1 went to the bedroom for unspecified reasons; -- 1 left to stoke a fire; and -- 2 did not indicate why they had left the room. 8 of 55 fires were unattended because the person engaged in cooking was outside the building but still on the property. These were the reasons: -- 2 were distracted by other people in the house; -- 1 was distracted by an animal; -- 1 forgot something was cooking; -- 1 thought they had turned the cooking device off; -- 1 went out to the vegetable garden; and -- 1 went out to the conservatory. 14 of 55 fires were unattended because the person engaged in cooking was completely off the property. These were the reasons: -- 8 forgot something was cooking; -- 1 inadvertently turned a cooking device back on; -- 1 forgot to turn the heat down as intended; -- 1 left a crock pot that suffered an electrical failure; -- 1 left insufficient liquid in a pressure cooker; and -- 1 provided no reasons. Other steps that the authors of the New Zealand study concluded might reduce the risks associated with unattended cooking include (a) regular cleaning of cooking equipment so that there are no cooking materials, food items, or grease on or around cooking equipment; (b) making sure not to overfill pots so as to reduce the risk of boil-over; (c) heating materials at the indicated temperature settings rather than at higher settings, which may cook food faster but may add to the risk if cooking is left unattended; and (d) making sure combustibles of all kinds rags and pot holders, curtain, bags, etc. are kept well away from cooking surfaces. Fat or food grease was the second leading type of material first ignited in home structure fires in It accounted for 57,000 reported home structure fires per year (14.0% of the total), and associated losses of Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 5

10 92 civilian deaths and 2,943 civilian injuries per year.* Only sawn wood accounted for more reported home structure fires, and no type of material accounted for more reported injuries, but five types of material accounted for more deaths. Cooking equipment was the equipment involved in ignition for 84% of the home structure fires with fat or food grease as the type of material first ignited. Fixed space heaters were the only type of equipment other than types of cooking equipment to account for at least 100 reported home structure fires per year starting with fat or food grease, and they accounted for 300 such fires per year (to the nearest hundred). Nearly all of the fat or food grease fires that were not ignited by cooking equipment had no equipment involved (14% of the total). Kitchens were the area of origin for 98% of the fat or food grease home structure fires. Most of the fat or food grease home fires had a form of material first ignited consistent with the coding of type of material, including cooking materials (89%), unclassified form of material (2%), and waste or trash (1%). Some of the other forms of material cited are not really forms of fat or food grease but are objects onto which fat or food grease might be deposited prior to ignition, including cabinetry (2% of fat or food grease home fires), interior wall covering (2%), and appliance housing (1%). Cooking oil and other Class III B liquids were the type of material first ignited in 4,400 home structure fires per year in Class III B combustible liquids are those with a flash point at or above 200º (93.4ºC). Associated losses included 10 civilian deaths, 362 civilian injuries, and $23.1 million in direct property damage per year.* Four-fifths of these fires (79.3%) had range, stove or ovens as the equipment involved the ignition. Clothing ignitions are a type of fire in which even the unreported fires can involve serious consequences. Reported gas and electric range or stove fires alone involved 41 clothing-fire civilian deaths a year, so this problem deserves special attention. Clothing precautions are needed around any cooking equipment with exposed hot surfaces, with or without open flame. For home cooking fires where activity when injured was known, 55% of nonfatal home cooking fire injuries occurred while firefighting. Cooking fires stand out in fire safety messages as a type of fire where safe firefighting by the occupants of a home involves techniques that may not be the first ones to come to mind. Specifically, using a fire extinguisher or applying water create a real risk of splattering, which will spread the fire rather than containing it. Safe methods of firefighting are (1) for stovetops, smothering the fire by covering a pan with a lid and turning off the burner, and (2) for ovens, closing the oven door and turning off the oven. One indication that people are trying to fight cooking fires in unsafe ways would be an unusually high percentage of cooking fire injuries occurring while victims are attempting to fight the fire, as opposed to other activities. The firefighting share of civilian injuries was much higher for home cooking fires than for other fires. Only 30% of non-fatal injuries in home fires other than cooking fires occurred * Kimberly D. Rohr, The U.S. Home Product Report (Forms and Types of Materials First Ignited in Fires), Quincy, MA: NFPA Fire Analysis & Research Division, December Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 6

11 while firefighting, compared to the 55% firefighting share for home cooking fires. Also, 12% of fatal injuries in home cooking fires occurred while firefighting, compared to 4% of all other fatal home fire injuries. In 1950, households cooking with gas outnumbered those cooking with electricity by 4-to-1, but by 1999, households cooking with electricity outnumbered those cooking with gas by 3- to-2. Over the same period, cooking with other fuels (e.g., wood or coal) declined from one-fourth of households to nearly zero. See Table 7. Electric ranges or stoves have a higher risk of fire incidents, civilian injuries, and direct property damage (but not civilian deaths), relative to the number of households using electricity for cooking, than gas ranges or stoves. In , the risk of fire per million households was 39% higher for electric stoves. (See Table 8.) The risk of civilian injury due to fire was 97% higher in electric stoves. The risk of property damage due to fire was 118% higher in electric stoves. The risk of fire deaths for gas stoves was 16% higher. The risks associated with fires are not significantly changed by the inclusion of electrocution deaths or non-fire carbon monoxide deaths, except for some small appliances. Electrocution deaths for electric stoves (4 in 1998, 2 in 2001) add at most 3% to fire deaths in any one year. The electrocution deaths for some smaller appliances microwave ovens, range hoods would represent a significant fraction of their fire deaths in some years. Non-fire carbon monoxide deaths for gas ranges, stoves, or ovens (7 per year in ) add only 1% to fire deaths. (See Table 9.) The 15 non-fire carbon monoxide deaths per year for charcoal grills, however, completely dwarf the charcoal-grill share of two estimated fire deaths per year for all grills and so far exceed the fire death risk for gas grills as well. Non-fire burns are an important concern in safe cooking. The slow cool-down of electrical cooking devices creates a risk. Another risk is overheated food, a situation that can easily occur when using microwave ovens, where even a few extra seconds can make a large difference in the heat of the food or drink. It is important to set cooking times carefully and to test the heat of cooked food and hot drinks before consuming them, especially if they are being prepared for more vulnerable people, like infants. And when removing the cover from a container just after microwaving food in it, keep your face and hands clear of the path of any escaping steam. Also, keep pot handles turned in to avoid spills and possible scalds. Keep children and pets away from cooking areas. Proper use of cooking equipment also means knowing when not to use the equipment. An example would be the use of stoves or ovens to heat the kitchen or even a home. There have been anecdotal accounts of such misuse, which poses a fire risk, although no estimate of the frequency of fires from such causes is possible at present. Suffice it to say that cooking equipment should be used only for cooking and only in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturers. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 7

12 Table 1. Home Cooking Structure Fire Problem, by Year A. U.S.A., Civilian Civilian Direct Property Damage (in Millions) Year Fires Deaths Injuries As Reported In 2001 Dollars , ,500 $208 $ , ,650 $669* $1,301* , ,020 $360* $659* , ,030 $285 $ , ,350 $314 $ , ,330 $294 $ , ,390 $319 $ , ,810 $318 $ , ,120 $374 $ , ,770 $368 $ , ,230 $388 $ , ,290 $505** $656** , ,180 $363 $ , ,660 $452 $ , ,770 $501* $598* , ,740 $358 $ , ,810 $414 $ , ,020 $448 $ , ,660 $419 $ , ,180 $570 $ , ,530 $569 $ , ,290 $453 $453 * The 1981, 1982, and 1994 totals are inflated by one miscoded fire each, respectively, a stove fire, an unclassified cooking equipment fire, and an oven fire. ** All direct property damage figures for 1991 are inflated by the Oakland, California firestorm (October 1991), a fire in a wildland/urban interface area that destroyed more than 2,800 homes and accounted for $1.5 billion dollars in direct property damage. The inflated figures result from national estimates procedure difficulties. Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest ten and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars. Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown. Inflation adjustment to 2001 dollars is done using the consumer price index. After 1998, fires include increasing number of confined cooking fires, many of which might not have been coded as fires prior to Totals may not equal sums because of rounding. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 8

13 Table 1. Home Cooking Fire Problem (Continued) B. Canada, , not limited to homes Civilian Civilian Direct Property Damage (in Millions) Year Fires Deaths Injuries In Canadian Dollars In U.S. Dollars In 2001 U.S. Dollars , $139 $119 $ , $116 $102 $ , $121 $100 $ , $99 $76 $ , $100 $73 $ , $107 $78 $ , $104 $76 $ , $111 $80 $ , $92 $62 $ , $122 $82 $87 C. United Kingdom, , dwellings (corresponds to U.S. homes) Civilian Civilian Year Fires Deaths Injuries , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,330 Note: Statistics include a proportional share of fires with undetermined cause. U.K. damage statistics are not available. Japanese injury statistics are not available. U.K. statistics in and after 1994 include some incidents (e.g., heat or smoke damage only) that were not included previously and are not included in other countries statistics. Source: Council of Canadian Fire Marshals and Fire Commissioners, Annual Report Fire Losses in Canada, published and forthcoming; U.K. Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, Fire Statistics United Kingdom, Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 9

14 Table 1. Home Cooking Fire Problem (Continued) D. Japan, , Kitchen range in any structure Civilian Direct Property Damage (in Millions) Year Fires Deaths In Japanese Yen In U.S. Dollars In 2001 U.S. Dollars , ,546 $73 $ , ,201 $83 $ , ,919 $86 $ , ,560 $95 $ , ,813 $96 $ , ,066 $107 $ , ,376 $95 $ , ,035 $91 $ , ,474 $65 $ , ,432 $74 $ , ,705 $81 $ , ,408 $69 $69 Note: Statistics include a proportional share of fires with undetermined cause. U.K. damage statistics are not available. Japanese injury statistics are not available. U.K. statistics in and after 1994 include some incidents (e.g., heat or smoke damage only) that were not included previously and are not included in other countries statistics. Source: Analysis of Japanese experience data by Dr. Ai Sekizawa, NRIFD; foreign exchange rates from OECD and consumer price index used to adjust for inflation. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 10

15 Table 2. U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fires, by Type of Equipment Unknowns Allocated Equipment Range or stove 103,000 (76%) 106,500 (75%) 94,800 (75%) 87,200 (76%) 85,500 (76%) 89,000 (77%) Oven or rotisserie 19,100 (14%) 20,800 (15%) 17,300 (14%) 15,100 (13%) 14,700 (13%) 14,000 (12%) Portable cooking or warming unit 5,900 (4%) 6,000 (4%) 5,400 (4%) 4,900 (4%) 5,200 (5%) 4,800 (4%) Grill 2,200 (2%) 2,300 (2%) 2,000 (2%) 1,800 (2%) 2,100 (2%) 2,200 (2%) Grease hood or duct 1,600 ( 1%) 1,700 (1%) 1,900 (1%) 1,600 (1%) 1,700 (1%) 1,500 (1%) Deep fat fryer 1,500 (1%) 1,500 (1%) 1,400 (1%) 1,100 (1%) 1,000 (1%) 1,000 (1%) Fixed food warmer 800 (1%) 800 (1%) 800 (1%) 700 (1%) 700 (1%) 700 (1%) Unclassified 2,000 (1%) 2,300 (2%) 2,200 (2%) 2,000 (2%) 1,800 (2%) 1,700 (1%) Total 136,200 (100%) 141,900 (100%) 125,700 (100%) 114,400 (100%) 112,700 (100%) 115,000 (100%) Equipment Range or stove 88,100 (78%) 85,700 (78%) 86,300 (78%) 80,400 (78%) 80,400 (77%) 81,200 (77%) Oven or rotisserie 14,000 (12%) 13,300 (12%) 13,200 (12%) 12,300 (12%) 13,200 (13%) 13,500 (13%) Portable cooking or warming unit 4,500 (4%) 4,300 (4%) 4,400 (4%) 4,200 (4%) 4,200 (4%) 4,500 (4%) Grill 2,200 (2%) 2,100 (2%) 2,400 (2%) 2,000 (2%) 2,200 (2%) 1,900 (2%) Grease hood or duct 1,600 (1%) 1,400 (1%) 1,400 (1%) 1,400 (1%) 1,200 (1%) 1,400 (1%) Deep fat fryer 800 (1%) 800 (1%) 700 (1%) 600 (1%) 700 (1%) 600 (1%) Fixed food warmer 600 (1%) 700 (1%) 700 (1%) 700 (1%) 700 (1%) 800 (1%) Unclassified 1,700 (2%) 1,800 (2%) 1,800 (2%) 1,700 (2%) 1,900 (2%) 2,000 (2%) Total 113,700 (100%) 110,100 (100%) 110,800 (100%) 103,800 (100%) 104,500 (100%) 105,900 (100%) Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest ten and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars. Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown. Inflation adjustment to 2001 dollars is done using the consumer price index. After 1998, fires include increasing number of confined cooking fires, many of which might not have been coded as fires prior to Totals may not equal sums because of rounding. U.S. Home Cooking Fire Patterns 11

16 Table 2. Home Cooking Fires, by Type of Equipment Unknowns Allocated (Continued) Equipment Range or stove 85,700 (76%) 84,700 (76%) 77,200 (75%) 72,400 (74%) 72,900 (73%) 74,500 (73%) Oven or rotisserie 14,900 (13%) 14,800 (13%) 14,500 (14%) 14,400 (15%) 15,700 (16%) 16,600 (16%) Portable cooking or warming unit 4,500 (4%) 4,400 (4%) 4,200 (4%) 3,900 (4%) 3,800 (4%) 3,900 (4%) Grill 2,000 (2%) 1,900 (2%) 1,900 (2%) 1,800 (2%) 1,700 (2%) 1,800 (2%) Grease hood or duct 1,500 (1%) 1,400 (1%) 1,200 (1%) 1,100 (1%) 1,200 (1%) 1,300 (1%) Deep fat fryer 600 (1%) 600 (1%) 500 (1%) 500 (1%) 500 (1%) 500 (1%) Fixed food warmer 1,000 (1%) 900 (1%) 900 (1%) 900 (1%) 900 (1%) 900 (1%) Unclassified 2,200 (2%) 2,400 (2%) 2,200 (2%) 2,400 (2%) 2,700 (3%) 2,600 (3%) Total 112,600 (100%) 111,100 (100%) 102,700 (100%) 97,400 (100%) 99,500 (100%) 102,100 (100%) Equipment Range or stove 67,800 (72%) 67,500 (72%) 58,700 (70%) 46,400 (68%) Oven or rotisserie 16,300 (17%) 16,400 (17%) 15,100 (18%) 12,700 (19%) Portable cooking or warming unit 3,500 (4%) 3,300 (4%) 3,200 (4%) 2,800 (4%) Grill 1,600 (2%) 1,700 (2%) 1,300 (2%) 1,100 (2%) Grease hood or duct 1,100 (1%) 1,100 (1%) 1,000 (1%) 900 (1%) Deep fat fryer 500 (1%) 500 (1%) 500 (1%) 600 (1%) Fixed food warmer 900 (1%) 800 (1%) 700 (1%) 600 (1%) Unclassified 2,400 (3%) 2,900 (3%) 3,000 (4%) 3,100 (5%) Total 94,000 (100%) Subtotal 94,400 (100%) 83,500 (100%) 68,200 (100%) Confined 1,800 10,400 48,900 Grand total 96,100 93, ,100 Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest ten and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars. Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown. Inflation adjustment to 2001 dollars is done using the consumer price index. After 1998, fires include increasing number of confined cooking fires, many of which might not have been coded as fires prior to Totals may not equal sums because of rounding. U.S. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 12

17 Table 3. U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fire Civilian Deaths, by Type of Equipment Unknowns Allocated Equipment Range or stove 310 (75%) 350 (78%) 310 (75%) 320 (84%) 350 (87%) 300 (81%) Portable cooking or warming unit 40 (10%) 40 (10%) 20 (6%) 40 (9%) 30 (7%) 30 (9%) Oven or rotisserie 30 (7%) 20 (4%) 30 (7%) 10 (2%) 10 (3%) 10 (2%) Deep fat fryer 0 (0%) 10 (3%) 20 (5%) 10 (2%) 0 (0%) 10 (3%) Grill 30 (7%) 10 (3%) 10 (2%) 0 (1%) 0 (1%) 10 (2%) Fixed food warmer 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (1%) 0 (1%) 10 (2%) Grease hood or duct 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Unclassified 0 (0%) 10 (3%) 20 (5%) 0 (0%) 10 (1%) 10 (2%) Total 420 (100%) 450 (100%) 410 (100%) 390 (100%) 410 (100%) 370 (100%) Equipment Range or stove 310 (77%) 300 (91%) 300 (82%) 280 (75%) 290 (86%) 240 (88%) Portable cooking or warming unit 50 (12%) 10 (3%) 30 (9%) 50 (14%) 20 (7%) 10 (3%) Oven or rotisserie 10 (3%) 10 (4%) 20 (7%) 10 (3%) 10 (3%) 0 (1%) Deep fat fryer 10 (3%) 0 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (1%) 0 (1%) 10 (2%) Grill 0 (1%) 0 (1%) 0 (1%) 10 (2%) 10 (3%) 10 (2%) Fixed food warmer 0 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (1%) 10 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (1%) Grease hood or duct 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (1%) 0 (0%) Unclassified 10 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (1%) 10 (3%) 0 (0%) 10 (3%) Total 400 (100%) 330 (100%) 370 (100%) 370 (100%) 340 (100%) 270 (100%) Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest ten and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars. Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown. Inflation adjustment to 2001 dollars is done using the consumer price index. After 1998, fires include increasing number of confined cooking fires, many of which might not have been coded as fires prior to Totals may not equal sums because of rounding. U.S. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 13

18 Table 3. U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fire Civilian Deaths, by Type of Equipment Unknowns Allocated (Continued) Equipment Range or stove 220 (84%) 270 (79%) 210 (72%) 210 (76%) 280 (76%) 240 (87%) Portable cooking or warming unit 10 (4%) 20 (6%) 40 (12%) 30 (9%) 30 (9%) 10 (5%) Oven or rotisserie 10 (4%) 30 (8%) 20 (7%) 30 (10%) 40 (11%) 10 (5%) Deep fat fryer 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 20 (6%) 0 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Grill 10 (4%) 0 (1%) 0 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (1%) 0 (0%) Fixed food warmer 10 (4%) 10 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (1%) 0 (1%) 0 (0%) Grease hood or duct 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Unclassified 0 (0%) 10 (4%) 10 (2%) 10 (3%) 10 (2%) 10 (3%) Total 270 (100%) 330 (100%) 290 (100%) 280 (100%) 370 (100%) 270 (100%) Equipment Range or stove 320 (82%) 290 (88%) 160 (73%) 300 (83%) Portable cooking or warming unit 40 (11%) 10 (4%) 10 (5%) 30 (8%) Oven or rotisserie 20 (5%) 0 (1%) 10 (5%) 20 (5%) Deep fat fryer 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 10 (2%) Grill 0 (1%) 0 (1%) 10 (5%) 0 (0%) Fixed food warmer 0 (0%) 0 (1%) 10 (3%) 0 (0%) Grease hood or duct 0 (0%) 0 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Unclassified 0 (1%) 10 (2%) 20 (8%) 10 (3%) Total 400 (100%) Subtotal 330 (100%) 220 (100%) 370 (100%) Confined Grand total Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest ten and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars. Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown. Inflation adjustment to 2001 dollars is done using the consumer price index. After 1998, fires include increasing number of confined cooking fires, many of which might not have been coded as fires prior to Totals may not equal sums because of rounding. U.S. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 14

19 Table 4. U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fire Civilian Injuries, by Type of Equipment Unknowns Allocated Equipment Range or stove 3,770 (84%) 3,870 (83%) 4,170 (83%) 4,320 (86%) 3,680 (85%) 3,610 (83%) Oven or rotisserie 230 (5%) 300 (6%) 370 (7%) 250 (5%) 270 (6%) 330 (8%) Portable cooking or warming unit 130 (3%) 160 (3%) 150 (3%) 150 (3%) 150 (4%) 190 (4%) Deep fat fryer 150 (3%) 110 (2%) 140 (3%) 80 (2%) 50 (1%) 50 (1%) Grill 80 (2%) 90 (2%) 80 (2%) 110 (2%) 70 (2%) 70 (2%) Grease hood or duct 30 (1%) 30 (1%) 20 (0%) 20 (0%) 30 (1%) 20 (0%) Fixed food warmer 20 (0%) 30 (1%) 20 (0%) 20 (0%) 20 (1%) 10 (0%) Unclassified 100 (2%) 90 (2%) 80 (2%) 80 (2%) 80 (2%) 50 (1%) Total 4,500 (100%) 4,650 (100%) 5,020 (100%) 5,030 (100%) 4,350 (100%) 4,330 (100%) Equipment Range or stove 3,680 (84%) 4,150 (86%) 4,310 (84%) 4,100 (86%) 4,360 (83%) 4,470 (85%) Oven or rotisserie 280 (6%) 250 (5%) 340 (7%) 270 (6%) 430 (8%) 350 (7%) Portable cooking or warming unit 150 (3%) 140 (3%) 150 (3%) 140 (3%) 140 (3%) 170 (3%) Deep fat fryer 60 (1%) 60 (1%) 70 (1%) 50 (1%) 50 (1%) 30 (1%) Grill 80 (2%) 60 (1%) 110 (2%) 60 (1%) 100 (2%) 90 (2%) Grease hood or duct 20 (0%) 50 (1%) 50 (1%) 50 (1%) 20 (0%) 50 (1%) Fixed food warmer 30 (1%) 10 (0%) 20 (0%) 10 (0%) 10 (0%) 20 (0%) Unclassified 90 (2%) 80 (2%) 70 (1%) 100 (2%) 100 (2%) 110 (2%) Total 4,390 (100%) 4,810 (100%) 5,120 (100%) 4,770 (100%) 5,230 (100%) 5,290 (100%) Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest ten and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars. Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown. Inflation adjustment to 2001 dollars is done using the consumer price index. After 1998, fires include increasing number of confined cooking fires, many of which might not have been coded as fires prior to Totals may not equal sums because of rounding. U.S. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 15

20 Table 4. U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fire Civilian Injuries, by Type of Equipment Unknowns Allocated (Continued) Equipment Range or stove 4,280 (83%) 4,770 (84%) 3,880 (81%) 3,780 (80%) 3,810 (79%) 4,010 (80%) Oven or rotisserie 420 (8%) 460 (8%) 450 (9%) 450 (10%) 540 (11%) 510 (10%) Portable cooking or warming unit 170 (3%) 120 (2%) 160 (3%) 170 (4%) 140 (3%) 170 (3%) Deep fat fryer 50 (1%) 60 (1%) 30 (1%) 40 (1%) 30 (1%) 40 (1%) Grill 80 (2%) 70 (1%) 80 (2%) 60 (1%) 100 (2%) 70 (1%) Grease hood or duct 40 (1%) 50 (1%) 40 (1%) 40 (1%) 30 (1%) 30 (1%) Fixed food warmer 40 (1%) 20 (0%) 20 (0%) 50 (1%) 30 (1%) 50 (1%) Unclassified 110 (2%) 120 (2%) 120 (2%) 140 (3%) 130 (3%) 140 (3%) Total 5,180 (100%) 5,660 (100%) 4,770 (100%) 4,740 (100%) 4,810 (100%) 5,020 (100%) Equipment Range or stove 3,700 (80%) 3,370 (81%) 3,560 (81%) 2,750 (76%) Oven or rotisserie 490 (11%) 420 (10%) 410 (9%) 450 (12%) Portable cooking or warming unit 180 (4%) 110 (3%) 60 (1%) 90 (3%) Deep fat fryer 30 (1%) 50 (1%) 50 (1%) 60 (2%) Grill 80 (2%) 40 (1%) 80 (2%) 60 (2%) Grease hood or duct 30 (1%) 10 (0%) 40 (1%) 30 (1%) Fixed food warmer 30 (1%) 30 (1%) 30 (1%) 20 (1%) Unclassified 100 (2%) 140 (3%) 170 (4%) 160 (5%) Total 4,660 (100%) Subtotal 4,160 (100%) 4,410 (100%) 3,630 (100%) Confined Grand total 4,180 4,530 4,290 Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest ten and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars. Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown. Inflation adjustment to 2001 dollars is done using the consumer price index. After 1998, fires include increasing number of confined cooking fires, many of which might not have been coded as fires prior to Totals may not equal sums because of rounding. U.S. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 16

21 Table 5. U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fire Direct Property Damage (in Millions of Dollars), by Type of Equipment Unknowns Allocated Equipment Range or stove $154 (74%) $612* (91%) $186 (52%) $220 (78%) $238 (78%) $224 (76%) Oven or rotisserie $12 (6%) $11 (2%) $13 (4%) $11 (4%) $18 (6%) $16 (5%) Grill $8 (4%) $11 (2%) $12 (3%) $12 (4%) $14 (4%) $15 (5%) Portable cooking or warming unit $15 (7%) $15 (2%) $19 (5%) $18 (6%) $22 (7%) $18 (6%) Deep fat fryer $5 (2%) $5 (1%) $7 (2%) $5 (2%) $4 (1%) $6 (2%) Grease hood or duct $4 (2%) $5 (1%) $4 (1%) $6 (2%) $5 (1%) $5 (2%) Fixed food warmer $5 (2%) $6 (1%) $3 (1%) $5 (2%) $7 (2%) $3 (1%) Unclassified $6 (3%) $4 (1%) $114* (32%) $5 (2%) $7 (2%) $6 (2%) Total $208 (100%) $669* (100%) $360* (100%) $285 (100%) $314 (100%) $294 (100%) Equipment * Range or stove $243 (76%) $244 (77%) $269 (72%) $273 (74%) $289 (75%) $378 (75%) Oven or rotisserie $19 (6%) $21 (7%) $23 (6%) $22 (6%) $18 (5%) $26 (5%) Grill $14 (5%) $15 (5%) $30 (8%) $16 (4%) $20 (5%) $29 (6%) Portable cooking or warming units $21 (7%) $21 (7%) $23 (6%) $30 (8%) $31 (8%) $34 (7%) Deep fat fryer $5 (2%) $4 (1%) $8 (2%) $6 (2%) $7 (2%) $7 (1%) Grease hood or duct $5 (2%) $3 (1%) $9 (2%) $4 (1%) $6 (2%) $9 (2%) Fixed food warmer $4 (1%) $3 (1%) $5 (1%) $10 (3%) $5 (1%) $8 (2%) Unclassified $8 (2%) $8 (2%) $7 (2%) $6 (2%) $13 (3%) $15 (3%) Total $319 (100%) $318 (100%) $374 (100%) $368 (100%) $388 (100%) $505 (100%) * The 1981 stove fire total and 1982 unclassified cooking equipment total are each inflated by one miscoded fire. All direct property damage figures for 1991 are inflated by the Oakland, California firestorm (October 1991), a fire in a wildland/urban interface area that destroyed more than 2,800 homes and accounted for $1.5 billion dollars in direct property damage. The inflated figures result from national estimates procedure difficulties. Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest ten and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars. Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown. Inflation adjustment to 2001 dollars is done using the consumer price index. After 1998, fires include increasing number of confined cooking fires, many of which might not have been coded as fires prior to Totals may not equal sums because of rounding. U.S. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 17

22 Table 5. U.S. Home Cooking Structure Fire Direct Property Damage (in Millions of Dollars), by Type of Equipment Unknowns Allocated (Continued) Equipment Range or stove $258 (71%) $343 (76%) $260 (52%) $248 (69%) $292 (71%) $304 (68%) Oven or rotisserie $31 (9%) $34 (8%) $173* (35%) $32 (9%) $35 (9%) $39 (9%) Grill $33 (9%) $18 (4%) $17 (3%) $24 (7%) $23 (6%) $35 (8%) Portable cooking or warming units $18 (5%) $23 (5%) $23 (5%) $26 (7%) $35 (8%) $36 (8%) Deep fat fryer $3 (1%) $6 (1%) $5 (1%) $5 (1%) $4 (1%) $5 (1%) Grease hood or duct $5 (1%) $8 (2%) $7 (1%) $5 (1%) $4 (1%) $9 (2%) Fixed food warmer $7 (2%) $6 (1%) $4 (1%) $3 (1%) $3 (1%) $4 (1%) Unclassified $8 (2%) $12 (3%) $12 (2%) $15 (4%) $17 (4%) $17 (4%) Total $363 (100%) $452 (100%) $501* (100%) $358 (100%) $414 (100%) $448 (100%) Equipment Range or stove $288 (69%) $356 (67%) $378 (67%) $300 (68%) Oven or rotisserie $36 (9%) $44 (8%) $40 (7%) $35 (8%) Grill $42 (10%) $35 (7%) $43 (8%) $22 (5%) Portable cooking or warming unit $24 (6%) $48 (9%) $38 (7%) $36 (8%) Deep fat fryer $6 (1%) $7 (1%) $12 (2%) $13 (3%) Grease hood or duct $4 (1%) $6 (1%) $6 (1%) $9 (2%) Fixed food warmer $4 (1%) $5 (1%) $4 (1%) $6 (1%) Unclassified $15 (3%) $34 (6%) $38 (7%) $24 (5%) Total $419 (100%) Subtotal $534 (100%) $560 (100%) $444 (100%) Confined $3 $9 $9 Grand total $537 $569 $453 *The 1994 oven fire total is inflated by one miscoded fire. Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred, civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest ten and direct property damage to the nearest million dollars. Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition unknown. Inflation adjustment to 2001 dollars is done using the consumer price index. After 1998, fires include increasing number of confined cooking fires, many of which might not have been coded as fires prior to Totals may not equal sums because of rounding. U.S. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 18

23 Table 6. U.S. Home Structure Fires Involving Cooking and/or Kitchen, by Year Cooking and Cooking and Kitchen and Year Kitchen Cooking Kitchen Not Kitchen Not Cooking , , ,300 5,800 36, , , ,900 6,000 33, , , ,900 5,800 32, , , ,300 5,200 35, , , ,800 5,800 36, , , ,700 5,300 37, , , ,500 5,200 37, , , ,100 5,000 38, , , ,600 5,200 36, , ,800 99,200 4,600 36, , ,500 99,700 4,800 34, , , ,300 4,500 34, , , ,900 4,700 35, , , ,500 4,600 34, , ,700 98,300 4,400 34, ,300 97,400 93,300 4,100 31, ,000 99,500 95,400 4,100 32, , ,100 97,900 4,200 29, ,200 94,000 89,800 4,200 28, ,600 96,100 92,300 3,800 27, ,400 93,800 90,500 3,300 25, , , ,000 3,100 20,500 Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are estimated to the nearest hundred. Figures reflect a proportional share of home fires with equipment involved in ignition or area of origin unknown, as appropriate. Totals may not equal sums because of rounding. Cooking = (Cooking and Kitchen) + (Cooking and Not Kitchen) Kitchen = (Cooking and Kitchen) + (Kitchen and Not Cooking) U.S. Home Cooking Fire Patterns, 1/05 19